UC Merced sets goal of 100 percent renewable energy by late 2016

UC Merced leaders say the campus could be completely powered through renewable energy by the end of 2016, sooner than originally planned.

The campus already gets about 15 percent of its power from its solar panels, and will get 60 percent from a Fresno County solar site in the next couple of years.

The University of California system earlier this month agreed to make the largest ever solar energy purchase by any U.S. higher education institution to help power its campuses and medical centers sustainably, according to officials, buying 80 megawatts of solar power from two solar fields near Fresno.

Zuhair Mased, director of energy and sustainability for the university, said the move will help the school reach its “triple-net zero goal.” The university plans to consume zero net energy through efficiency and renewable energy production, produce zero landfill waste and prevent as much carbon emission as the university produces by 2020.

“All the energy that will be used by UC Merced will come from renewable sources,” he said.

UC Merced leaders say between the solar-power purchase and two planned projects on campus – rooftop solar systems on campus buildings and an expansion of the campus’ solar farm – UC Merced would be the only campus in the country to get 100 percent of its energy from renewable sources, according to school leaders.

The UC system purchased 80 megawatts of power, of which 60 will be shared by UC Merced and five other campuses.

UC Merced used about 16.2 million kilowatt-hours of energy in 2013, according to Graeme Mitchell, assistant vice chancellor of strategic facilities planning. Mitchell estimated the campus will consume about 41 million kwh of energy if it expands as much as is planned by 2020, when the university wants to reach 10,000 students.

UC President Janet Napolitano called for the UC system to be the first in the country to be carbon neutral by 2025.

Construction on the Fresno County solar fields is expected to wrap up in late 2016, and the projects are scheduled to be in operation by the end of that year, according to the UC system’s Office of the President.

“By investing in the development of renewable energy sources like these, UC is doing its part to increase the supply of green energy available for use across California,” Napolitano said in a news release.

This story was originally published October 28, 2014 at 2:02 PM with the headline "UC Merced sets goal of 100 percent renewable energy by late 2016."